Karakuri Burst
by SporksN'Knives
Summary: Crazed killers and disciplined soldiers are worlds apart, but lines may blur when Len is given orders to bring his enemies' primary assassin to her death. Rated for violence. RinxLen
1. Broken

**I realize that there are a lot of oneshots based on the PV of "Karakuri Burst", but I wanted to take the whole song and turn it into a full-length fic. **

**Warning: Lots of violence and Len in a uniform ahead. Fasten your seatbelts.**

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

Bloody hands shook while pure white teeth ground together. A plump lower lip trembled and a single cerulean eye filled with tears. Breaths came in tiny bursts while young lungs struggled to remain operational.

Twelve years old, already forced to murder. Tears began to fall as the gun slipped from her hand, clattering to the cement below her feet. Numbness spread from her hands and worked its way up her arms toward her chest.

The menacing, attention-grabbing sound of stilettos rang in Rin's ears as she stared at the body of her victim, hands cold and clammy. Untold lengths of cyan hair poured in front of her as a young woman placed both hands, manicured and ornamented with polished acrylic tips the same color as her hair, gently on her shoulders.

"Is that all you can do?" she sweetly hissed in Rin's ear, sending goose bumps up the girl's arms.

"M…Miss Miku…I don't…" Rin began.

"You don't what?" Miku screamed, pushing Rin to the floor. With a cry, Rin hit the ground and turned on her back, looking up at the spectacled woman in fear. The bandage covering her left eye began to slip, revealing the deep slash crossing her nose and reaching far across her eye as Miku stood poised to beat her.

"You don't get to decide what you do and don't!"

In her tailored charcoal dress suit, fishnets, shiny green stilettos, ruffled dress shirt, and spotless lab coat, Miku Hatsune looked like a respectable businesswoman to the uninformed civilian. Around her male co-workers, she was cheery, flirtacious, and innocent, but with Rin, she was abusive, cold-hearted, and extremely violent. It was because of Miku, in all her pigtailed glory, that she'd lost her eye. In the battle to take Rin from her family, a knife had been produced. Rin's parents were murdered, and Rin was successfully kidnapped, one of two eyes intact.

Rin covered her head and cried out as Miku proceeded to deliver kicks and harsh lectures. Something in her broke as hopelessness drowned her, and when Miku left her bleeding and half-dead on the cement floor, Rin reached out and grasped the handgun she'd dropped. She slowly pulled it to her chest and curled around it, stroking the cold metal as though it were an animal.

Then, a grin began to form at the corners of her mouth – a grin which quickly grew crazed as she watched her spilled blood mingle with that of her victim's.

A manic giggle slipped from her throat just before she slipped into unconsciousness, proof that Kagamine Rin was no longer.

* * *

**Writing an evil Miku is fun. Because I hate Miku with a burning and firey passion. **

**Stay tuned for Len's chapter! *epic movie preview guy's voice* Coming soon. -_- **


	2. Dust

"We have but one purpose, gentlemen," A pink-haired woman shouted, pacing back and forth in front of about fifty soldiers, the medals on her uniform tinkling with every step. "And that is to destroy evil in its entirety!"

The rhythmic clicking of General Luka Megurine's suede heels stopped abruptly, regaining the attention of the soldiers present. Her sky blue eyes burned with a white-hot intensity as she pulled the red and black armband from its place on her sleeve, holding it up for all to see.

"This symbol stands for peace and happiness," she shouted, pointing at the white swastika. "This is what we strive to achieve! Blood will be shed, and lives will be lost, but we will prevail! We will regain the hope, the peace, and the happiness which filled the world at the beginning of time!"

A spirited cry rose from the soldiers, bringing a triumphant smile to General Megurine's face. All of them, so young and fueled by the military's good intentions…

...it was a shame that most of them would be dead within a week.

* * *

Of the forty-five soldiers Luka Megurine addressed that day, Len Kagamine was the sole survivor. Upon his return to headquarters, he was showered with medals, awards, and even promotions. Night after night, he found himself unable to shake the single face and single statement engraved in his mind.

One eye – just one – with a blood red iris. Shining flaxen hair - like his - brushed into a bun and held in place by a blood red flower. A scar which peeked out from behind her bangs, crossing the bridge of her nose and obviously stretching across her left eye. Silken red minidress and white thigh-highs painted with blood in the shape of cherry blossoms. A manic smile and a blood-spattered gun.

She was insane, they told him. A girl with no humanity, a doll whose only purpose was to kill. Len had seen her in action, and indeed, she was certainly insane. Anyone who could laugh like a hyena while single-handedly slaughtering forty-four soldiers had to be.

For some reason, she'd chosen to spare him.

After his fellow soldiers were all facedown, unmoving, and draining of their blood, this mystery assassin had stood upright and looked straight at Len. Her one eye flashed with insanity before dulling and taking on an innocent sparkle.

"You can live," she giggled. "You're too cute to kill." Her voice dropped an octave or two as her mad grin turned to a murderous glare. "But if you cross me again, I won't be so kind." With that, she dove into the shadows and vanished.

Her words haunted him. The blood spattered on her furisode-style coat had to be avenged. The association she worked for was the military's primary target – take away their assassin and the rest would be child's play, he thought.

Len would have liked nothing better than to be on the squad that caught this girl, but he was sure that because of his disability, he wouldn't be chosen.

The scar across his eye and nose mirrored the assassin's scar. Just like her, he was missing an eye, as made obvious by the eyepatch he wore.

Len had grown up in the home of a lawyer, orphaned by evil. When he was twelve, a woman broke into the house to steal his guardian's daughter – his best friend. In the end, the lawyer and his wife were killed. Their daughter kidnapped. Len left for dead and blind in his right eye. Several months later, it was announced that the lawyer's daughter turned up dead in the next city. The photo of her eyes – one red, the damaged one blue – confirmed it. Without a moment's hesitation, Len enlisted in the military. He had been orphaned twice by evil, and his only friend had been murdered by evil.

He would someday destroy it, and not let even a speck of its dust escape.


	3. Someday

"First Lieutenant Kagamine will accompany the squad to capture Miku Hatsune's personal assassin."

Len's heart leapt in his chest as he nodded in acknowledgement. Four years had passed since he'd first met with the Hatsunes' killer, and every day, he thought about her.

He thought about how much he would love to kill her.

* * *

"Now then," Miku pondered, sitting back in her expensive office chair and tapping a pen againsr her lips. "You've really made a mess of things. How to deal with you…"

Rin lay in a pool of her own blood at her master's feet, her hair slipping from its bun as Miku held her head to the floor with her foot.

"I told you to kill them _all_," Miku growled, twirling a lock of her teal hair around her index finger and pushing Rin's face into the blood on the floor. "I went to all the trouble of faking your death so no one would know who you were! I even gave that girl your blue eye so that they would believe it was you. And then you leave a witness. A goddamn WITNESS!" She screamed, standing and kicking Rin again. A cry of pain filled the room, and more blood seeped from Rin's already-bloody mouth.

"You've killed hundreds of people, you idiot! Why did you leave ONE all of a sudden?"

Rin gave no answer.

Miku snarled. "I can't even stand to look at you. One more mistake like that, and I'll kill you myself," she growled, stomping out of the room.

The door slammed shut behind her, and Rin hauled herself to her feet, wobbling a bit before regaining her balance. She pulled the straps of her red dress back onto her shoulders and retrieved her furisode from Miku's desk before slinking off through another door and into another hallway. She squeezed through the grimy backways to the room Miku had kept her hidden in while she arranged Rin's "death". Rin closed the door behind her and set her blood-splattered wooden sandals by the mattress leaning against the wall. She pulled the cord to the dusty lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. Though very definitely insane, Rin had the presence of mind to fill her basin with water, bandaging the slash on her right thigh before tending to her eye. She winced as she washed the blood from her body, feeling every break in her skin before she saw it.

She slipped back into her clothes and pushed the old saggy mattress to the floor before falling onto it. Most of the springs had been removed over the years, so when she laid down, most of her body touched the floor.

Though she never recalled it, sanity came when she slept. From deep in the cavernous recesses of her contaminated, fragmented mind, came memories. She saw a man in a business suit walking through a doorway and smiling at her. She saw him tenderly kissing a woman with a swollen belly and a turtleneck sweater. She saw a boy who looked exactly like her. He had different-colored eyes, one blue and one red – the red like her remaining eye. The blue like the one she lacked.

He was the one thing she could pull from her nocturnal wanderings. She was well-aware that she only had freedom in how she killed, but deep down, in the uncorrupted pieces of her mind, she knew she wanted to meet him.

Someday.


	4. Nightmare

"According to our intelligence unit, our target is going to be on assignment to kill one Mr. Ichirou Nakahara," General Megurine explained to Lieutenant Len Kagamine. "Your job is to cut her off _before _she kills him and attempt to take her prisoner." Her eyes grew urgent. "Keep her alive, Lieutenant. At all costs. She may be insane, but she could provide some critical information."

Len nodded, removing his hat and running a hand through his platinum blond hair. "If killing her is out of the question, shouldn't we be carrying tranquilizers instead of live rounds?"

"…this division didn't become as elite and infamous as it is today by rushing into battle with _darts_," Luka pressed, her eyes dull with disappointment. "Really, lieutenant?"

Len flushed and nodded at her. "Apologies."

Luka looked back down at her notes. "Ichirou Nakahara is a bond trader living in Tokyo. Rumor has it he also operates a large underground drug empire. If you catch Hatsune's killer, perhaps we can validate Mr. Nakahara's second income." A smirk showed on Luka's face. "Two birds with one stone. Maybe even enough to land you another promotion, Kagamine."

Len's mouth lifted on one side. "It sounds like a plan, ma'am."

Luka stood, rolling her shoulders back. "I suppose that does it, then. I'll be sending you out within the week."

Len stood and bowed at his superior.

"Salute, Lieutenant."

Len stood upright and folded his right arm across his chest. Luka nodded at him and then at the door before turning away to gather her paperwork. Len saw himself out and closed the door behind him, leaning against it. He'd spent four years preparing himself for the day he'd see the girl who haunted his dreams brought to her knees. His only fear was that he wouldn't be able to pull the trigger when he finally had the chance. She reminded him so much of her…the lawyer's daughter.

Len shook his head and replaced his hat, straightening his structured black uniform before making his way down the hallway. He had only a few days to ensure that he was ready to lead his soldiers into what could become their deaths, but just the thought of his allies' killer's resemblance to Rin was dizzying. He knew it was just coincidence. He and Rin each had heterochromatic eyes – one red and one blue. The girl he'd come face-to-face with had only one eye, blood red. She was clearly blind in her left eye, as made obvious by the bandage covering it. Rin was also a very caring person, and couldn't bring herself to hurt anyone or anything, no matter the circumstances. Aside from spiders, Len amended with a chuckle. No spider lasted ten seconds after she spotted it.

After returning to his quarters, Len hung his hat and the jacket of his uniform on their respective hooks by the door and collapsed on the couch, removing his eyepatch and setting it on the end table. He covered his eyes with his forearm, sighing as fatigue began to snuff out his consciousness.

She appeared to him again as sleep claimed him.

The same revolver that had ended his fellow soldiers' lives danced around her long, slender, red-nailed fingers as she strode toward him, her walk jaunty and seductive. She smirked as she drew near him, her furisode left open to reveal the red kimono-style spaghetti-strap mini-dress, white thigh-highs, and the smooth, white stretch of leg between.

Len was frozen as she sauntered closer and closer until her chest was just centimeters from his. The hand free of the gun traveled up his arm to his chest, where they eased the buttons through their loopholes before dancing across his skin. Each teasing touch left an electrifying sting which lingered for several seconds after she moved on.

She stood on her tiptoes and pressed closer to Len, her breath tickling his ear. "I remind you of someone special…don't I?" she purred, her lips brushing his ear. Len started and struggled to muster up the willpower to push her away. He failed, but she moved away from him, looking up at him with all the innocence Rin might have. "Don't I look like her?" she asked sweetly, reaching up and removing the ribbon and flower from her hair. She shook her head, allowing the locks of sunlight atop her head to fall to her shoulders. She then removed the bandage from her scarred eye and let it fall to the ground, both eyes closed. When she opened her eyes again, Len woke from his nearly erotic nightmare in a cold sweat.

Her damaged eye was blue.

It couldn't be Rin. It couldn't. Miku Hatsune _had _kidnapped her, but she turned up dead.

…right?


	5. Fate Begins

One usually learns some time during their life that history has a tendency to repeat itself.

Lieutenant Len Kagamine learned this lesson much earlier than others as he numbly watched his comrades bleed out on the rain-soaked pavement of a Tokyo backstreet, once again the sole survivor.

He'd cheated death again.

And _she'd_ helped him do it – the wispy, robed figure at the end of the alley.

If not for the splatters of blood on the pure white of her furisode, she may have resembled a ghost. Perhaps even a wayfaring angel. But the unbridled insanity, and the clearly unquenched bloodlust in the mystery girl could have raised goosebumps on the devil's arms.

The only comfort Len could take was in the appearance of a seemingly unarmed opponent.

_It's meant to be,_ Len thought, pulling his saber from its sheath at his hip. "I'll destroy you," he whispered to keep himself from losing heart. "Karakuri."

Over the years, Len decided that he couldn't go on calling Hatsune's killer _her _ or _she_ until he killed her. He had to give her some kind of name. He nearly shot himself when "Rin" crossed his mind. He could never defile a person as beautiful, loving, and _situationally _violent as Rin, in flesh or in memory by giving a notorious killer her name. Though Len _had _come to admit that their resemblance was striking, only _his_ Rin could be Rin.

Eventually, he'd decided to name her Karakuri – machine, or device, since that's all she was – a killing machine.

Len crept toward Karakuri through the drizzle of rain, his steps rivaling butterfly wings in the sound they made. The entire time, Karakuri never moved a muscle.

Suddenly, she gave a shrill, short-lived squeal of a giggle, sending chills racing up and down Len's spine and the hair on his arms stood on end.

"Look at you, sneaking up on me like you're a cat or something," she simpered, turning just enough to glance over her shoulder at him. Her single red eye flashed with grim amusement while her usual crazed grin turned up one corner of her mouth. Her furisode slipped from her shoulders, revealing the creamy, pale skin from Len's dreams. "Even after all these years…you're still as cute as ever."

_Don't I remind you of someone?_

All at once, Len's dream, his erotic nightmare, came flashing through his mind before he could do anything to stop it. His attempt to ward away the thought came far too late.

The way she ensnared him in his own mind should have been terrifying, but after he'd managed to fall back asleep that night, Karakuri-Rin took his breath away. She found arousing new ways to rid them both of their clothes, piece by piece. Each of her teasing, pleasurable, antagonizing touches sent pulses of electricity racing throughout his body, leaving them to pool insistently in his groin. Every curve of her body drew his eyes, his hands, his lips. Every moan they set free into the hot dreamscape air, every labored breath released into a room filled with the erotic aroma of sweat and fruity perfume brought tremors through Len's body at just the thought.

The pleasure was real.

But so was the horror.

"Damnit, _SHUT UP_!" Len roared, restraining the urge to charge her like a bull. Karakuri laughed.

"Do I anger you?" she asked in an innocent, condescending voice. She turned to face Len, letting her furisode fall open, revealing the same kimono-style dress and white silken thigh-highs she wore four years before. She looked down at all the fallen soldiers. "I was only having a little fun," she murmured, grinning.

"Human life is precious!" Len snapped. "Why can't you understand that?"

Karakuri giggled. "I'm expendable, so why isn't everyone else, too?"

Len snarled. "Because not everyone is pure evil!" He shouted. "My allies were not evil!" He stepped closer, raising his sword to her. With another giggle, Karakuri pulled the same revolver from her furisode and held it barrel down at her side, her crazed smirk taking root.

"Are you sure of that?"

"More than anything else," Len growled. "You are the daughter of evil itself. Evil destroyed my life. Evil took the life of the only woman I ever loved!" Tears threatened to build. "I've done everything in my power to destroy all evil…and you're next!"

The fact that Karakuri had a gun while Len had a sword was completely lost in the lieutenant's ensuing anger. He hurtled toward her, going to great lengths to keep his balance as he read headlong toward her. Karakuri snickered and stood ready, her gun still barrel down. The confidence on her face kept Len on edge despite her lack of defensiveness. She knew she wasn't going down.

Strange girl. She'd never fought Len before.


	6. I Know You

Though highly trained in the art of swordplay, Len ignored all basic principles of combat and charged Karakuri all at once, his hatred over-riding his self-discipline. Karakuri continued to display a careless smile all the while, her blood-stained revolver still at her hip. Her red fingernails tapped out the rhythm of the insane on the gunmetal while Len's footsteps resounded through the rain-scented air. Len raised his sword to strike Karakuri down, slashing it down at her head.

Karakuri had the reflexes of a cat. She brought the revolver up and caught Len's blade with it, locking the two weapons and forcing them into something of a stalemate. Len hissed and jumped back, freeing his weapon from hers. Karakuri giggled again, lowering the gun again.

_She's just like a girl playing with a new toy,_ Len thought with disgust.

"Come on," Karakuri simpered. "I'm waiting."

Len snarled. "It'd probably be more _fun _if you took things more seriously," he muttered.

Karakuri grinned. "Oh, but your anger is proving to be more than amusing," she replied. "You're quite adorable when you're mad – quite unlike my mistress."

"You mean Hatsune Miku?" Len asked, seizing the opportunity to glean some information from her. If he was going to break orders and kill her here, he may as well cushion the general's inevitable blow by having something to offer her.

Karakuri nodded. "I think she's ugly anyway," she snickered. "but when she's mad she looks more like an ogre than a woman." She thought for a moment. "_and _she doesn't try to kill me. She's a childish little bitch for being the head of the military's most wanted resistances. She just torments and beats me whenever she doesn't get her way."

"I'm tempted to make you live with that," Len spat. "But you've slaughtered too many of my allies to be left alive."

Karakuri smiled – a smile bordering on _sanity_. "…I'd like that," she murmured just before her grin turned dark and bloodthirsty. "But I'd also like to have a bit more fun with you, Lieutenant."

"You'll have plenty of fun in _hell_!" Len shouted, taking a step toward her. "I'm sure Satan has plenty of games for you down there!"

Again, he charged her, but stopped short when the barrel of her handgun was just inches from his forehead. His sword pressed into her shoulder, and Len smirked when slight pain flashed across her face and blood began dribbling down her shoulder. She smirked.

"Well, this could be problematic," she deadpanned.

"Maybe not," Len shot back, pressing his sword deeper into her shoulder. Karakuri hissed in pain and took the safety off.

"Don't you know that problematic is the same thing as fun?" she asked. "Because you have to get creative when you don't know what to do."

"I'm sure I could fix that."

Karakuri lunged forward and pushed Len as hard as she could, sending Len of-balance.

"Don't be so sure of yourself," she growled. "I told you before that I wouldn't be as kind to you if you ever crossed me again. The one thing I can say of myself is that I'm a woman of my word."

Len regained his balance just as Karakuri rushed him and raised his sword to ward off any blows. She either didn't know how a gun really worked or she was out of ammunition, because she apparently intended to bludgeon him to death with hers.

As steel met steel, Len got his first good look at Karakuri, despite their struggle. She was more than thin. She was bordering in emaciation. Permanent bruises littered her upper arms and peeked out from under the low neckline of her dress. Her bandage had begun slipping, revealing more of the scar left across her face.

_Light from the television flashed on the knife blade as it dug into and across Rin's face. The scream she released curdled Len's blood. _

_ "Get away from her!" Len screamed, running at the masked woman holding the knife. He shivered when her cruel teal eyes turned on him, ducking when she swung the knife at him. From then on, all he saw was black. He felt the blood flowing down his face, through his fingers. He heard Rin screaming his name, and with a metallic slam and the squealing of tires, all fell silent. _

Len grit his teeth and fought to overthrow Karakuri, suddenly wanting to kill her more than ever for bearing Rin's face. She had the lips he'd longed to taste since his childhood, the hair he wished he could run his hands through. She had one of the eyes he'd spent so much time looking into…

Time stopped as both locked eyes in the same instant. Both eyes, one blue and one crimson, widened as happier days ran like film through their minds.

_"Lenny~!" Rin sang, skipping up to Len's tree. Len sat up in the tangled, twisted mess of branches, having been nearly lulled to sleep by the sound of rustling leaves and the pleasant summer warmth. "Want to take a walk with me?"_

_ Len grinned. "Coming!" He was something of a show-off whenever Rin was around, and so far it hadn't been his downfall. It was bound to happen someday – and today seemed to be the day. _

_ As he navigated his way down through the spiral of tree limbs, he realized that he was moving faster than he could judge his steps. That was when he slipped and fell the remaining several feet with a sharp thud as his back met the grass. _

_ "Len!" Rin cried, kneeling next to him. "Are you alright? Len!"_

_ It took several seconds for Len to regain the breath he'd lost. "I…I'm fine…" he groaned as Rin helped him sit up. "Just…got the…wind knocked out of me…"_

_ Rin sighed in relief. "Know what…let's just stay here," she said, seating herself on the grass cross-legged. "I don't want you getting hurt."_

_ Len frowned. "I'm not gonna get hurt walking," he complained. _

_ Rin looked him up and down. "Are you sure?"_

_ Len nodded. "Why are you so worried?"_

_ Rin looked down. "I just…don't want anything to happen to you…not again."_

_ Len smiled and reached out, grabbing her hand. "I've got you. What could possibly happen to me?"_

_ Rin giggled and pressed her forehead to Len's. "You're adorable, Len."_

Len felt the strength draining from his body. His knees threatened to fail him and his desire to kill Karakuri was suddenly gone.

Karakuri was Rin.

_His Rin._

She had apparently had a change of heart, as well. Her blood-red eye glittered with crystalline tears and her jaw had dropped.

Her only word sent warmth flooding his body, and it took all his remaining strength to resist the urge to engulf her in his arms.

"…Len?"

It was Rin, alright. Len couldn't help the smile that turned up one corner of his mouth. She sounded sane. Like Rin. He finally had her back.

But just because they'd remembered each other didn't change the fact that they were standing in the rain-diluted blood of twenty-two dead soldiers. It was a strange way to protect her, but Len leaned in close to Rin, never taking his eyes from hers.

Before either one could say anything more, Len knocked her out.


	7. Tempting Fate, Part One

**I misjudged how much further I had to take this to carry my plot to its full potential...so be prepared for some relatively rapid-fire updates while I work up to the end. :)**

* * *

"L…Len…" Rin breathed as she sank to her knees. Her eyelid fluttered closed and Len caught her, gently sweeping her up into his arms.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, slightly nuzzling her. "you'll thank me later."

Casting a final glance at his fallen allies, Len made his way back to his car, a luxurious black Lexus that served as more than half his disguise. The rest of the soldiers had loaded into inconspicuous delivery trucks and approached from different directions while Len cruised rather happily in his Lexus to reduce suspicion. Obviously, it hadn't done them much good, seeing as Len was again the only one left alive.

Len gently settled Rin in the backseat, having hadcuffed her for good measure on his return. He could just imagine how he might have looked – carrying an unconscious, handcuffed girl in what probably looked like a sleazy cosplay to an expensive car and laying her down in the backseat. He'd even crawled halfway in to ensure that she was settled comfortably. Surely that couldn't look good.

Suddenly extremely self-conscious, Len shut the backseat door and walked around the car to the driver's side, hopping in and not even bothering to buckle his seatbelt before racing off down the alley and cutting his way into traffic.

_What are you doing, Len?_ He thought, afraid of what might happen to Rin after their return to headquarters. _You could be putting her neck on the chopping block by taking her back._

"This has to be done," Len told himself. "I won't let her die again."

* * *

Len was worried when he walked into the cell block a week later. He could hear laughter echoing down the manicured, futuristic hallway and was suddenly afraid that it was coming from Rin's cell. He tried to maintain his posture and composure as he stormed down the corridor, past white, well-lit cells made of three opaque white walls and plexiglass fronts. As he progressed, it became obvious that the boisterous laughter, taunting, and crude remarks were coming from Rin's cell.

He was appalled to look in and see three of his men inside, a half-naked Rin at their feet. Most of her hair had slipped out of its bun and one of the straps on her dress was ripped, allowing her dress to slip halfway down her chest on one side. Her sash lay crumpled under one soldier's feet and fresh bruises littered her arms and chest. When she looked up at him from her place facedown on the floor, a purple bruise stretching across her cheek, it was obvious what they'd done to her, and it instantly brought Len's blood to a boil.

"The hell do you think you're doing?" he shouted, startling the soldiers. One by one, they all began stammering and choking out excuses at once, angering Len even more.

"We all hate her, but that's no reason to abuse her! Good god, she probably won't be giving us _anything_ during her interrogations now. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that physical assault isn't a way to getting what you want."

The soldiers shakily saluted. "Y-yes, sir…"

"What was that?"

"YES SIR!" they all shouted, standing at attention. Len nodded.

"Alright. Now get the hell out of here, I'll deal with you later. You're not to leave the barracks until I call for you."

The solders scurried out and down the hall, leaving Len to excuse the guard to a long lunch so that the possibility of eavesdropping was just shy of impossible.

"Rin?" he whispered as he entered the cell again. She looked up at him from her place still curled up on the floor, tears welled in her eye.

"Why are you keeping me alive?" she asked, a tear falling. "I killed so many people you knew…"

Len made his way over to her and knelt down in front of her, taken by the apparent comprehension of reality and consequence she displayed. Could this really be the same young woman who single-handedly killed twenty-two grown men in a Tokyo alley only a week ago?

"Nothing can change what you've done," he answered, examining the bruise on her face. "But nothing can change the fact that you remained my only friend after my parents died." Len's next words were quiet. "You have no idea what you mean to me, Rin."

"…but Len…"

"Shhh. No buts," Len interjected. "it doesn't matter what you say. It destroyed me when you died the first time. I'm not letting that happen again. Ever."

Rin slowly pulled herself up to her knees, leaning toward Len. "I never told you…" she murmured.

Len searched for reason in her one eye. "Never told me what?"

"That I love you," she finished, closing the space between them and wrapping her arms around his neck. She hid his face in her shoulder, the tears already making their appearance. Len didn't hesitate to hug her back, tightening his arms around her and resting a hand on her head. He felt that he should have smiled, but her confession only worried him.

"I love you too, Rin," he whispered into her hair. Rin slumped into him, her shoulders trembling. "but why are you telling me this?"

"I missed you so much," she whispered. "I wanted to see you again…but now…I know they'll kill me whether or not I tell them what they want to know."

Len gently stroked her hair. "Shhh…I won't let that happen."

"You can't change fate, Len…"

Len gently pushed her away and looked her in the eye, allowing a rebellious smile show on his face. "No, but I can tempt it."

Rin's eye narrowed in confusion. "What do you…"

Len sighed. "I'll tell you when I know."

He looked down, turning his eyes back up when Rin giggled. He was afraid she'd lost it over again, but was comforted by the girlish sparkle in her eyes.

"You actually sound like yourself," she said. "not some badass lieutenant."

Len smiled. "I'll try to stay like this with you," he replied. "I can't stand watching you cry."

Before he could react, Rin leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Blood rushed to Len's cheeks as he felt her soft, baby-pink lips moving tenderly against his, and he began returning her kiss, realizing that in all his twenty-two years, he'd never once kissed a girl. His worries that he might not meet Rin's expectations diminished with each second as their kiss began to develop into something more.

Years of desperate longing took their toll as the seconds ticked by. Hands traveled and lips parted. Rin crawled into Len's lap, her hands digging provocatively into his sides. Len involuntarily sighed in pleasure, his hands caressing the soft porcelain flesh of Rin's back. Goosebumps ran up and down their arms as they went further and further…

Len gently pushed Rin away, returning to his senses. Rin began to release a string of quiet whines, only to be quieted by Len's index finger.

"Not here," he whispered, knowing as well as she did that he _did_ want it. "But soon." He looked over his shoulder and back at Rin. "I'm gonna get you out of here. Both of us."


	8. Tempting Fate, Part Two

**I thought that this could be a good source of comic relief if I finally threw Kaito in here. I've heard that he was the leader of the military in the PV or something, but come on, guys. This is _Kaito_. He's bot much of a leader in my opinion...unless someone dangles Len or ice cream in front of him. That doesn't mean I don't love him! I love Kaito to death. :3 **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little bit of comic relief...the seriousness will pick back up next chapter, I promise :3**

"I'm gonna get you out of here. Both of us."

"Rin's eye sparkled. "You think you can?" she whispered excitedly. Len nodded.

"I _know_ I can. One way or another." He replied. "Even if it's by blowing a hole in a wall." He shook his head. "I'd like to be quieter than that, though…"

Rin smiled. "You're serious? We can escape?"

Len leaned forward and shyly kissed her. "Of course I'm serious. You give me all the confidence in the world."

* * *

"Look, Kaito, this is ALL I'll ever ask of you EVER again. I promise!"

"You _do_ realize that if they realize the drug is fake, they'll have BOTH our necks on the line, right?"

Len nodded. "Just fill a syringe with vitamins or something and let them see you inject her. Rin's been sedated so many times that she knows how she's supposed to act." Len sighed. "Please, Kaito. I HAVE to do this," Len pled. Kaito groaned and ran his hands through his hair, squeezing his eyes shut in indecision. He sighed and let his arms drop to his sides.

"You'd be shit outta luck. if you weren't the most goddamn adorable lieutenant in the military," Kaito snarled, walking over to a cabinet filled with various medications and pulling out a bottle of multivitamins. "I'll just make an IV drip with vitamins and mineral supplements and make a vaccine out of it. I hope it's worth your life."

Though normally repulsed by Kaito's sexual tendencies, Len occasionally exploited the lab technician and nurse's affection for him to get what he needed. His current mission depended on his ability to take advantage of Kaito's feelings for him.

Len had decided that if he could first convince his superiors that Rin – Karakuri – was low-risk on a mild sedative, breaking her out would be much easier. Maybe they would approve her to be transferred out of the high-security detention cell block and into an infirmary room. If that happened and Rin claimed to trust Len and no one else, they could gain invaluable time along together. To plan. To rehearse. To…

Len caught himself before his desires could carry him too far. _That_ could wait until _after_ they'd successfully escaped.

Len turned his attention back to the still-grumbling Kaito, who was working up the concoction for the fake sedative. He allowed himself a brief mental vacation, making a list of everything he would take Rin to do once they were free. He would take her to America. To France, England, Germany, everywhere he'd had the opportunity to go. He wanted to show her everything he'd seen around the world. He wanted to give her the opportunity to taste real food, not the mush the military gave her. He wanted to marry her, to raise a family and sit outside and watch their children play in a lush yard shaded by willows.

Some fantasies he knew could never come true. It could be years before they weren't in danger of being caught once they actually made it out – and years more before they could afford to settle down. By then, children might be out of the question.

_It doesn't matter,_ Len told himself. _Either way, if you pull this off, you'll have Rin. _

"Well, here's the vaccine that _could_ end your life," Kaito complained, setting several syringes filled with their fake drug on the stainless steel countertop. "I hope it's worth it." His eyes narrowed. "Why do you want a fake drug for this girl, anyway?" he asked.

Len hurriedly stuffed the syringes in his jacket pocket. "If I told you, you'd jump me trying to break the vaccines," he replied. Kaito's right eye twitched a bit.

"Now you've got me worried."

He couldn't have Kaito all wound up over him being in love with Rin. He might choose to give them up before they even made their escape attempt. Len looked around the room, ensuring that they were alone and no one was on the other side of the windows before moving closer to Kaito. If the blunette's help weren't crucial, he wouldn't have seen the need to do this.

Len prided himself on his apparently perfect mix of masculine and feminine features, which allowed him to appeal to almost anyone he needed to. He let his eyes narrow in a semi-seductive manner and placed his hands on Kaito's chest, looking him straight in the eyes. "You don't need to be," he whispered. He summoned a blush and watched Kaito grow flustered – the single most hilarious thing after Rin's rants on banana perversion.

"Well, if you say so," Kaito replied, snaking his arms around Len's waist. Len shuddered – a reaction most easily mistaken for shivers, thankfully – and slipped from Kaito's arms.

"Not here," he whined, stepping back. "I have a reputation to protect."

Kaito frowned. "Oh, all right." He winked. "Someday, Len."

Len forced a smile. "Someday." Suddenly it seemed as though his lunch were going to make a reappearance and he tried to suppress it. "Thanks for the vaccines."

"Don't mention it," Kaito replied. His voice dropped. "Seriously, don't."


	9. Tempting Fate, Part Three

**WARNING: A little bit of hot n' heavy RinxLen. You may choose to pick up some tissues if you're prone to nosebleeds. **

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

"You want us to _what?_" General Megurine gasped, raising her eyebrows. The officials on either side of her had either thrown their heads back in laughter or begun nervously shifting in their leather desk chairs. Len stood at attention a few feet in front of them, his head high though his confidence had sunk so low it seemed to scrape the ground. He cleared his throat and shifted his weight.

"I would like to ask that Hatsune's assassin be transferred to the infirmary."

"Have you forgotten your personal encounter with her, lieutenant?" Major Neru Akita asked, mouth agape. "Perhaps you're not remembering that she tried to kill you just two weeks ago."

"I haven't forgotten," Len replied. "I've been spending a great amount of time with her trying to gain information, and I've had her lightly sedated every time. She's no threat on light sedatives."

When he was met with unconvinced glares from the majority of the review panel, Len swallowed. "I worked with Kaito Shion to make a sedative that kept her relatively aware of herself but kept her under control. She's very low-risk on it, and she's already expressed that she refuses to give us anything that could be of some use because she thinks we plan to kill her no matter what she does. If we give her the illusion of being in no danger, she might decide to open up a little bit."

"The risks outweigh the potential benefits, lieutenant." Luka leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

Len didn't hesitate to play his final card. "I've arranged a demonstration for you to see for yourselves."

Without giving the panel a chance to object, Kaito entered the room, followed by Rin, who was flanked by two guards and bound by handcuffs and ankle chains. Murmurs of unease rose from the seven officials in varying stages of seating as Rin was led in behind Kaito, who carried a stainless steel tray with three syringes. Rin was pushed into a chair by the guards, all the while struggling against them. Len inwardly praised her for her convincing show. She fought, struggled, and occasionally snarled at her captors while Kaito readied the vaccine.

"I wouldn't ask for her security to be dulled if our sedative didn't work, I assure you," Len said, nodding at Kaito. Though not looking entirely convinced, he approached Rin, prompting the guards to wrestle her arms to the chair's.

"No! No! Get away from me!" she screamed, biting at them. Len resisted the urge to jump the guard who pulled her head back by her hair as Kaito leaned in to press the needle into her arm, wincing when she screamed at him. He quickly pressed the solution into her bloodstream before removing the needle and backing away while Rin kept fighting.

"It will only take a few seconds," he murmured, more to himself than to the uneasy panel.

_Your turn now, Rin,_ Len thought, biting his lip.

The "sedative" worked its way through Rin's system more quickly than usual due to her excessive movement, Kaito said. Within thirty seconds, Rin could hardly fight anymore, and Len ordered the guards to let go of her. They hesitantly released her and stood at attention while Len offered Rin his hand. She eyed him up and down with a racing, disapproving eye before taking it and rising, murmurs from the panel resounding through the room.

"She can do little more than glare at someone in terms of physical violence," Len told them. "I guarantee you, she's of no risk."

Luka cleared her throat and eased back into her chair, smoothing her now slightly-frizzy pink tresses.

"I will permit a trial period," she said after a few moments. "If she displays any violence like we've seen her prone to, she goes right back into maximum security."

Len saluted.

"Get out of here, lieutenant. I've had about enough of you for one day."

The general's trial period of two weeks flew by more quickly than Len had anticipated. As planned, Rin showed no more violence than squashing spiders and glaring at the nurses who administered her vaccine every morning, and after a grueling two more weeks, she was granted a strict parole on good behavior. Everything seemed to be going as planned, and it made Len uneasy. Something was bound to go wrong somewhere.

His unrest was multiplied tenfold when Luka told him that Rin was permitted to roam the compound free – granted he was with her. When Luka grudgingly told him that Rin had been very open about only trusting him enough to tell him anything, Len couldn't help a laugh. Rin hadn't forgotten that part while he had. Believing him to be amused by the prospect of Rin trusting him at all, Luka laughed with him and told him to try to get anything he could from her – any information could make a world of difference, she said.

It was because of that that Len found himself casually walking through an elaborate garden, alone with Rin. She was dressed in the outfit Miku Hatsune had her wearing, as she'd refused to part with it. Len _had _been able to persuade her into laundering it, but Rin refused to leave the washroom until she could wear it again. Some things probably wouldn't change overnight.

Len, however, was dressed in black jeans and a white dress shirt. He lacked his uniform hat and his hair was left at his shoulders as usual. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows and the top button was left undone, revealing a necklace with a single 'R' encrusted with plastic rhinestones.

"You still have that old thing?" Rin asked as they sauntered through rosebush hedges and lattices embraced by clematis. "I bought it at a dollar store."

"You bought it. That's why I still have it," Len replied, smiling. Rin blushed and looked down at the ground. Len chuckled and looked up at the sad limbs of a willow tree as they passed beneath it, again returning to the backyard of his fantasies.

"This is taking longer than I thought it would," Rin whispered, kicking a rock. Len nodded.

"I know," he murmured, shoving his hands into his pockets. "But it's coming along. We've gotten too far to give up."

"I didn't say I'm giving up," Rin said. "I'm just saying…it's taking forever."

The hedges had grown taller and taller as they walked, and now towered several feet over their heads. Rin walked into a small gazebo surrounded by thick rose bushes and jumped up onto the table, crossing her legs at the ankles and swinging them back and forth.

"It'll happen," Len assured her, leaning against one of the pillars. "I made you a promise. I'm not gonna break it without a fight."

Rin gave him a half smile. "I wish I could do more than play good girl to help us."

"Hey now," Len said gently, walking in front of her. "It's because of you playing 'good girl' that we're here right now and not back in maximum security," he whispered, slipping his hand into hers. "You're doing most of the work. I'm just whipping up fake drugs and talking you up."

Rin reached out and pulled him into a hug. "I just want it to be done."

Len pulled her even closer, burying his face in her hair. "So do I," he replied.

They remained silent as they melded together for several seconds. Len pulled away just enough to kiss Rin, and it was then that he felt her parting her legs and pulling him between them.

"R-Rin," Len breathed, his hands traveling to the tops of her thighs. Rin pressed her index finger to his lips.

"Quiet, lieutenant."

Their lips parted, tongues entwined, and hands explored. Rin released quiet, airy moans and wrapped her legs around him as Len's hands snuck to her hips beneath her dress. She chuckled erotically as the garment hitched further and further up, shivering as the cool autumn midday air caressed her.

Len groaned as her hands played at the waistband of his pants, slowly easing the top button through its loop and inching the zipper down. His mouth watered when he caught a hint of the faint musk of the secret place between Rin's legs and nipped at her lip, moving her legs further apart as he felt his jeans slide down just enough to allot him the freedom to do what was on both their minds.

Rin had begun tugging his boxers down when Len burst forth and attacked her neck, bringing several moans from Rin's throat.

"L-Len, what are you…" she whispered amidst pants and moans.

"We should make the most of this," Len replied, shifting as the pulses of pleasure pooling in his groin began to take their toll. Rin snickered as she felt him beneath her hand.

"Says he who's getting excited so quickly," she teased.

Len hesitated. "….alright. We'll make the most of it later."

Rin smirked. "That's more like it."

With panties and boxers out of the way, it seemed they'd gone too far to just stop.

Len was reminded of their situation when his pager began beeping from his back pocket right as he was about to enter Rin. When he reached for it, Rin grabbed his hand.

"No. It can wait."

"If I don't answer, they'll come looking for us, Rin."

She groaned and released him.

Len pressed a few buttons on the device and groaned.

"It looks like you had a physical exam today and you missed it."

Rin shrugged. "It's just an exam."

Len shook his head. "If we don't get you back for it, they might take you off your parole. Then I might not be able to get you out. AND we might never get to finish what we started."

Rin pouted. "Okay…" she whined. Len pulled his boxers and pants back up where they belonged and blushed, hoping desperately that they would _fit_ before they made it back to the medical compound.


	10. Tempting Fate, Part Four

**Whatever demon possessed me into thinking that this would ever be ONE chapter is a cruel, cruel creature. I should have known that it would take upwards of ten chapters to let the story run its course...**

**Anyway, shorter chapter this time, I'm sorry q.q Enjoy anyway~!**

* * *

"God damnit, Len, get the hell up!" a pause. "LEN?" More pounding on the door. More screaming.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Len mumbled as he shuffled to his front door. In his current state, a place somewhere between awareness and slumber, he didn't stop to think about putting his robe on and realized when he saw Kaito's face that he was only in his low-slung sweats. Since it was three in the morning, Len chose to disregard his overexposure.

"This had damn well better be worth getting me up, Kaito," he groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"Karakuri is being moved back to maximum security," Kaito replied. "She killed a night nurse."

Len's eyes widened as he fully awakened. "What?" He grabbed Kaito's tie and pulled him through the door before slamming it behind them.

"Tell me everything," he demanded. Kaito shrugged.

"Most of it's on tape. You can come see for yourself."

Len glowered. "I want to hear what _they _are going to be saying."

Kaito shrugged. "Last known bed check was at midnight. The next one was half an hour ago. The midnight nurse was found dead by the nurse on the next shift. She was dead in Rin's room, and Rin was reported asleep in her bed, covered in blood."

"I thought you said it was on camera. You're sitting here telling me this like you didn't actually see it," Len murmured skeptically.

"When she attacked the nurse, something got thrown toward the camera and the video blacks out right as she jumps her. We don't know exactly how she was killed yet."

Len sighed and eased himself down on the couch, resting his head in his hands. _We were so close…_

Kaito seated himself beside Len.

"Why do you care so much about her, anyway, Len?" he murmured, no suspicion evident in his voice. "If I remember correctly, she tried to kill you," he added sarcastically.

Len bit his lip. "It's nothing but stupid."

"I might cut you some slack if you tell me."

"You make any mention of this and I'll be forced to kill you, just so you know."

Kaito chuckled, increasing Len's irritation. "Don't worry, I don't blab."

Len sighed and let his head fall forward. He ruffled his hair as he carefully selected each word.

"She…she looks a lot like a girl I used to know."

Kaito's silence and the sensation of his watchful eyes urged Len onwards.

"…when I was seven, my mother got sick and died. A few weeks later, my father killed himself. After that, I was sent to a foster family. The husband was a well-off lawyer and the wife was a wedding planner. They…they had a daughter my age."

Kaito chuckled. "Ahh, young love."

"I'm not finished."

"My bad. Go on."

Len still experienced an acute rush of pain whenever he thought of his childhood. "I was happy with them. I never thought I'd be happy without my mother, but it was okay…mostly because I had a crush on their daughter." He chuckled, embarrassed. "A big one." Another sigh escaped his lips as he set into the darkest events of his past, not even thinking to code his response to protect Rin. "By the time I was twelve, I'd taken to calling my foster parents Mom and Dad. Mom was about to have a baby…and…one night, Dad came home like he always did, but he'd only been home for a few minutes when there was someone breaking in the back door. She killed mom and dad…tried to kill me – that's how I lost my eye – and kidnapped the daughter…they said they found her body in another city almost a year later." He paused. "Hatsune's assassin looks like a carbon copy of Rin…and the thought of anything happening to Rin again…is completely unthinkable."

"I didn't know our big, bad, lieutenant could be so sentimental," Kaito breathed, half in sincerity and half to lighten the mood. Len glowered at him.

"Just because I'm military doesn't mean I'm heartless," he growled. Kaito raised his hands.

"I never did!" he covered, eyes wide at Len's aggressive response. "I've just never heard you talk about anyone like that before."

"I don't do it often," Len replied wringing his hands. Several seconds of silence passed before Kaito stood and pulled Len to his feet.

"Come on. General Megurine wants you to look over the tape and explain some things to her." He lowered his voice. "And you'd better talk fast. I heard her discussing execution with the other higher-ups before I left."


	11. Tempting Fate, Part Five

**FINALLY. I'm sorry it's so short...I had it written and tucked away in my binder, but while I was cleaning my room today, it fell out of my binder and I couldn't find it. This is half of what I had...so again, I divide chapters. But whatever. I'm going to re-title these chapters with their own numbers...like I said, I don't know what made me think I'd ever finish this in under ten chapters. XD**

**Anyway, enjoy~! I'll try to update sooner this next time D:**

* * *

"I hope you have a damn good explanation for this, Kagamine!" Luka shouted. Len hadn't even finished walking into the room before she unleashed her tongue and all the infuriated words on it. It took all of Len's willpower to keep his mouth shut while she tore him up one side and down the other before moving on to berate Rin as well, despite how quickly it brought his blood to a boil.

Soon, Luka ran out of insults and obscenities to throw at him for his 'indescretion' and simply stood in front of him, face flushed red as a cherry, eyes filled with fury, and though Len would never have said it aloud, she looked more like a furious schoolgirl than a general. She had obviously been asleep, and in her haste, she hadn't brushed her hair, her uniform coat was buttoned incorrectly, and a pair of slippers the color of her hair took the place of her usual heels. She was an unfortunately amusing sight in such dire circumstances.

"If you'll permit me to speak with her, I'm sure I can explain everything," he replied calmly. His composure only enfuriating Luka more.

"You'll have five minutes. Get your ass in there," she growled, stepping aside and pointing down the cell block's center hallway. Len wasted no time brushing past her and hurrying down the hallway. Rin's new cell was marked by several guards – the same ones he'd caught halfway through abusing her before, he grudgingly noted. Upon pushing past them, he saw Rin balled up in the corner, hands and feet bound. She looked up when he looked in, tears streaming freely down her cheeks and a mixture of anger and saddened frustration in her eyes.

Len walked toward her and knelt down beside her, eyes widening when she drew her knees tighter to her chest and hid her face in her knees.

"I know what happened," he murmured. "Will you tell me why you did it?"

Rin shook her head, face still hidden.

"Why not?"

Rin looked up at him like a guilty child, nodding at Luka and the guards behind him. Len followed her gaze and nodded. "Don't worry. They won't tell anyone."

"I don't trust anyone except you. I'm not saying anything as long as they're in here and the door is open," she replied coldy.

"Karaku – "

"I won't say another word until it's just you." With that, Rin turned her head away from him and refused to look back. Rubbing the back of his head in frustration, Len stood and shuffled back to the entrance of her cell. Luka crossed her arms and drummed her fingers on her arms, her left foot tapping in irritation.

"Well, at least she trusts ONE of us enough to talk," she grumbled. Len shrugged.

"I know how stubborn she can be. If you don't let her have one-on-one time with me, she'll never have a chance to explain herself.

"She doesn't need to explain herself! I'm a hairs' breadth away from having her shot right this second!"

Len's eyes widened before he could reconstruct the wall he'd put up to hide his love for Rin, and in turn he stepped forward, eyes flashing.

"We're soldiers, not savages," he growled. Luka didn't even blink in the face of Len's disrespect.

"Maybe not, but she is. She hasn't given us a shred of information on Hatsune Miku in the two months we've had her now! What do you hope to accomplish by keeping her alive? Didn't you say when you enlisted that your goal was to obliterate the evil in the world?" Len's anger turned to confusion, and Luka cut him off as he opened his mouth to speak.

"If that's the case, then I'm here to tell you that evil is sitting in that corner!" she shouted, pointing past him at Rin. Len's blood boiled and he clenched his fists, fighting to keep himself from pushing her arm down.

"She isn't evil," he replied as coolly as he could manage. "She's no more evil than you or me. She needs to be treated like a human being, not an animal. Hatsune treated her like a dog. That's why she's like that."

"I don't recall you ever going to school for psychology, Kagamine," Luka hissed. "The fact is that she killed one of us, and the deal was that she be sedated and supervised or she would be back in here. So why don't you leave the social bullshit for someone who cares?" Len felt his jaw unhinge before he could stop it.

"So if you want answers, wave death in her face, and refuse to let her give them, what difference is there between her and a martyr?" he cried.

"A martyr dies for a cause," Luka replied, turning on her heel and walking away. "She has no purpose." She lifted a hand to the soldiers flanking her. "Get him out of here."

Nodding, the soldiers turned back to Len and seized him. Without a second's hesitation, Len fought back, handing a fist in one soldier's face and his knee in the other's stomach. He heard Rin scream his name as pain suddenly flooded his neck, then his chest before his entire body went numb. His legs failed him and he heard himself hitting the floor more than he actually felt it, his vision blurring, shifting, and eventually darkening as his eyes fell on Kaito, who slipped a handgun back into his lab coat, staining it with Len's spilled blood.

_Bastard. Traitor. So much for how much you claimed to feel for me, huh? It's on once I get up, idiot…_

With those final sentiments, Len slipped into darkness, cursing Kaito all the while.


End file.
